Machine for jointing and seaming tin c-an-bodies



(No Model.) 7 SheetsSheet 1.

O. M. SYMONDS.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN GAN BODIES.

No. 338,887. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. M. SYMONDS.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN CAN BODIES.

No. 338,887. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4. G. M. SYMONDS.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN CAN BODIES.

N0. 338,887. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

O. M. SYMONDS.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN CAN BODIES.

No. 338,887. Patented Mar. 80, 1886.

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MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN CAN BODIES. No. 338,887. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

INVERTER 6//Mmc @rywbl (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7. G. M. SYMONDS.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TIN GAN BODIES.

No. 338,887. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

WITNESSES. IILVENTDR. a mag 77?, xymwv o UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

CLARENCE M. SYMONDS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING AND SEAMING TlN C'AN-BODIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,887, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed July 1, 1885. Serial No. 170,427. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE M. SYMoNDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco, State of Galifornia,haveinvented an Improved Machine for J ointing and Seaming Tin Can-Bodies; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make and use the same.

In the manufacture of tin bodies for cans and other tin vessels it is necessary, after the sheet-tin has been bent to the required form, to unite and scam the edges together in order to complete the body. \Vhen the can requires to be hermetically sealed,this joint or seam is united with solder; but when the can is intended to contain dry substances the edges are bent together so as to interlock and the interlocked edges pressed down into a flat seam.

My invention relates to a machine for making this latter style of seam by a single operation; and it consists ofa horn or anvil,around which the piece of tin whose edges are to be united and seamed is clasped, a thin blade projecting above the surface of the anvil upon which the edges of thetin rest and over which they are bent, crimped, and interlocked, and two sliding heads arranged to move down upon the anvil, one of which carries a pressing-bit, so as to bend the edges of the tin into an interlocking position and then crimp it into an incline position under the hammer, while the other carries the hammer, which descends to flatten down the interlocked and crimped edges into a flat seam, all as hereinafter more fully described.

My machine is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a front elevation of same. Fig. 3, Sheet 3, shows a plan of the foot-piece of the main slide. Fig. 4, Sheet 3, shows a bot tom view of same. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, shows a front broken elevation of foot piece, slide, and anvil in their preliminary position in jointing a can-body. Fig. 6, Sheet 4, shows same parts closed down upon the anvil in the first position. Fig. 7, Sheet 4, shows same parts with pressing-bit jamming the base of the interlocked ridge, being the second position. Fig. 8, Sheet 4, shows same parts in last or third position with hammer down upon anvil and joint closed. Fig. 6%, Sheet 4, is a vertical section of same parts, showing a spring-pin stop attached to pressing-bit to stop end of tin. Fig. 7%, Sheet 4, is a plan view of pressing-bit, showing application of spring pin stop or gage; Fig. 9, Sheet 4, crosssection of anvil,showing guide, clips,and blade in their raised position; Fig. 10, Sheet 4, crosssection of same,showing link-connections; Fig. 10%,Sheet4, cross-section ofsame with blade and clips depressed. Fig. 11, Sheet 5,shows alongitudinal section of anvil with side elevation of bars, links, and blade in elevated position. Fig. 12, Sheet 5, shows same parts in depressed position; Fig. 13, Sheet 5, sectional elevation of can-body with joint in first position; Fig. 13%, Sheet 5, same showing second position; Fig. 14, Sheet 5, same showing third position. Fig. 15, Sheet 6, shows the machine with mechanism for driving with power. Fig. 16, Sheet 7, shows section of an anvil, foot-piece, and hammer in third position. Fig. 17, Sheet 7, shows section of anvil with square sheet-metal forms attached. Fig. 18, Sheet 7, shows same section with circular form attached.

A represents the base of the machine,which may be mounted on legs, as represented at Figs. 1 and 2, when the machine is to be operated by a treadle, or it may rest on any suitable support when it is to be driven by power, as represented at Fig. 15, Sheet 6.

B is a heavy curved arm or standard vhich forms a permanent part of the base A, being cast in one piece with it. This arm or stand ard curves forward and has a broad head or flange, G, theplane of which is vertical, formed on its upper end, in the outer face of which a double slide is arranged to be moved, as hereinafter described.

A semicircular recess is formed in the front of the base A, and a horn or anvil, D, is secured to the base at the back part of the recess, so that it shall project horizontally forward underneath the middle of the head or flange O, at a short distance below it. The tin body which is to be jointed and seamed is slipped on over this horn or anvil, and the edges to be joined are crimped and interlocked and afterward flattened down upon it by the ICO sliding heads above mentioned. The anvil can therefore be made of any desired shape, and blank forms of different sizes and shapes, according to the sizes and shapes of the bodies to be seamed, can be secured around it, as hereinafter more fully specified.

' In the present instance I have represented a rectangular form, as shown at Figs. 8, 9, and 10, Sheet4. This form is adapted to fit a canbody such as is represented at Figs. 13 and 14, Sheet 5.

A slide, E, is fitted in ways suitably made to move up and down against the outside face of the head or flange 0, above the horn or anvil D, and this slide has a foot-piece, F, at

its lower end, which extends nearly the'full length of the anvil. This foot-piece is divided directly above and over one half of the anvil by a channel or recess, through which the lower or hammer end of the outer slide, G, moves. The outer slide, G, is secured in properways or guides, so as to move up and down against the outer face of slide E. Its lower end, a, as above stated, passes down through the channel or recess in the foot or slide E, and extends nearly the length and parallel with the anvil. One side of this hammer-bar is Vertical,an'd moves against the side of the recess. Its lower edge is plain, and serves as a hammer to flatten the crimped edges of the tin down upon the anvil after they have been bent into the proper interlocking position.

. Running lengthwise throughthe upper portion of the horn or handle D, on one side of its middle line,isa channel in which two parallel bars, one above and the other below, are arranged to move. The lower bar, d, extends back through a hole in the arm B, as shown at Fig. 1, Sheet 1, and has a loop, I, at its rear end just backof the arm. A bar, h, passes through this loop and'bears against the standard B, and has an inclined or beveled enlargement, h, on it,which works against the outer edge of theloop when the bar h is forced down, and draws the bar d backward in a longitudinal direction. A spiral spring, K, encircles the bar d in a chamber in the arm B, and a pin, a, in front of the spring, causes the spring to be compressed when the bar is drawn back by the inclined'enlargementh. When the bar hmoves upward so as to free the inclined plane from the outeredge of loop, the spring will force the bard forward again to. its first position. The upper bar, 6, extends only the length of the anvil, and it has a thin narrow blade, n, projecting upward from it on one edge.

Two steel die-plates, f f, are sunk in the upper face of the v anvil, one on each side of the channel. The die-plate on one side extends up to the edge, of the channel, and is recessed to the depth and width of the seam to be made on the can, while the one on the opposite side extends partially. across the channel, thus leaving a narrow slot between their edges, through which the blade n of the bar 6 is probar, 6, are corresponding recesses, the front.

sides of which are beveled.

The bars d and e are connected by two or more-free-working links, is, which serve when the lower bar, d, is drawn backward to draw the upper bar downward, so that the pins enter the recesses, and thus allow the upper bar to be depressed sufficiently to carrythe blade 1:. below the upper surface of the anvil.

Fig. 11, Sheet 5, shows the lower bar forward in its first position. In this position the studs are carried forward, so that the. upper bar rests upon them and the links k stand vertical, while at Fig. 12, same sheet, the lower bar, d, is drawn back, the upper bar, 6, resting upon its upper face with the studs entering the'recesses in its under side. When the upper bar, 6, is thus drawn down, the blade n -is depressed and entirely withdrawn below the upper surface of the anvil; but when the bar d is thrown forward by the spring k by the withdrawal of the incline enlargement from the loop I the links supplemented by the action of the studs j, moving against the inclined sides of the recesses in the upper bar, 6, will force the upper bar to its first position and project the blade n up' throughthe slot again. I

On the left-hand side of the slot in the anvil I secure a spring-pin, p,i-n a socket near each end, so that it can be depressed until its upper edge is level with the upper surface of 'the anvil. The tops of these pins areinclined,

so that they slope downward from a level with the top of the blade 12 toward'the left side of the anvil. On the opposite or right-hand side of the slot I secure other spring-pins, p, in similar sockets, only theupper ends of the lat ter pins are formedof wire and bent in'wa'rd at an inclination, so that their extremities are just above and on one side of theblade n when it is in its raised position. These-pins can also be depressed into their sockets until their upper edges are level with the upper surface of the anvil.

G Figs. 5 and 6, is a-plate which is secured IIO in suitable guides or ways underneath thefoot-piece F of the slide E, so that it can be' adjusted toward or from the-hammer-bar aof slide G by means of set-screws Z Z. V This plate is also shown in plan by" dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 3. This plate has an arni, H, projecting horizontally from each end across the'channel or recess in the foot-piece F, and in the ends of these arms-are journaled the ends of a peculiarly-constructed pressing-bit,

J. This pressing-bit is hung eccentrically upon its journal at each end, so that it stands in the recess or channel in the foot-piece F alongside the hammer a of the outer slide, G,

and extends the full length of the hammer.

This manner of suspending the pressing-bit causes it when it is pressed in toward the verti.

cal side of the foot-piece to move downward against the anvil, and in returning from the vertical side of the recess it rises from the anvil, thus describing an evolute motion with reference to its center. The back of this pressing-bit is made rounding, and its lower edge is made comparatively sharp. It has a stud, 0, near its upper edge at each end, which presses against the inclined face of the hammer-bar. A spring, m, is secured in a socket in the plate, G so as to press against the back of the pressing-bit just above its center, so that the stud is kept snug against the inclined side of the hammer.

On the inclined side of the hammer-bar at each end I make a track opposite each of the studs 0 for them to travel in as the hammerbar moves up and down. This track is perpendicular until it reaches near the top of the hammer-bar, when it abruptly bulges out so as to form a projection, o, above which it is rounded into a curved shoulder, '10.

I shall ordinarily form the projection 12 by means of a roller, so as to avoid wear; but in case there should be any wear I can always take it up by means of the set-screwsl Z.

The slides G E are moved simultaneously and together in the first part of their downward movement until the slide E rests upon or nearly upon the anvil. as hereinafter more fully described. Slide G then has an independent downward movement, so as to carry its hammer-bar down upon and against the anvil. To accomplish this, I employ two levers. The main lever T passes through the arm B of the machine, and has its fulcrum at S, while its forward end passes through a vertical slot in the head 0, and also through a like slot in the slide E, and is attached to the outer slide, G, which it moves.

U is a short lever which has its fulcrum at a in standard \V on top of the arm B. (Shown at Fig. 1, Sheet 1.) The forward end of this lever presses upon a block, E", which is secured to the upper end of the slide E, while its rear end has a roller, X, which is pressed upward by a cam-projection, W, on the lever T when that lever moves upward.

The fulcrum of the lever U is just as far from the point where its front end presses upon the block E as the fulcrum of the lever T is from its point of pressure on the slide G, so that as long as the cam WV presses upward on the lever U the two levers move simultaneously and together; but when the roller on the end of lever U leaves the upper face of the cam the upper lever is left stationary and with an even pressure, caused by roller bearing on the convex surface of the cam, while the lower lever continues its movement alone.

On the front of the block E is a projection, f through which asetscrew, 9, passes. This set-screw presses upon the head of the outer slide, G, while the two slides move together during the latter part of the upward movement of the two slides, and serves to keep the slide E from falling by its own weight away from the front end of lever U, and also to lift the slide E on the return movement of slide G. Two other set-screwsjj in the top of the block E serve to stop the downward movement of the inner slide, E, just before its foot-piece strikes the face of the anvil, so that it will not rest upon and keep the tin from yielding during the hammering down operation.

The cam-projection W is adjustable on the lever T; and the roller X is also adjustable by set screws, so that the stroke and pressure on the slide E can be regulated.

\Vhen my machine is operated by treadle or foot power, I connect the rear end of the lever T with a treadle, X, by means of a pitman, Z, and I connect the bar h, which moves through the loop of the lower anvil-bar, e, by means of a pitman-rod, h", which is also connected with the treadle. In this case I place a weight, A on the rear end of the lever T, which serves to depress the lever after each operation. This arrangement is represented at Fig. 1, Sheet 1.

Fig. 15, Sheet 6, represents my machine with its mechanism adapted to be driven by power. In this figure,B represents the driving-pulley. O is a pinion on the drivingshaft, which engages with a spur-wheel, C. An eccentric on the shaft, which is driven by the spur-wheel O is connected by a pitman, D, with the lever T, the pitman-rod passing through a slot in the standard B of the machine, and a turn-buckle, t and check-nut serve to adjust its length. In this case I operate the bar it from the lever T by means ofa lever, d which is pivoted at its middle, and a pitman, h, all as plainly represented at Fig. 15. The operation will then be as follows: The sheet of tin,having been properly bent,is slipped on over the horn or anvil I) until it strikes the projecting pins z 2, which serve as stops on each side. The ends of the sheet of tin will then overlap each other and rest upon the spring-pins, as shown at Fig. 5, theet 3 that is, the end of the tin which rests upon the shorter springpins will pass over and its edge will rest upon the upper edge of the blade n and against the spring-pins p", that serve as a gage, while the opposite end extends above it and overlaps it, as shown. I shall ordinarily employ a spring stop or gage, y g, on the under side of the pressing-bit, as represented at Figs. 6'} and 75', Sheet, 4, against which the upper overlapping edge of the tin will bear when it is ready to be operated on by the machine, so that the interlocked edges will both of them be gaged and measured. The treadle is then depressed, causing the two slides E G to move downward together until the foo ward movement of the two slides, which I will call the *lirst part of the operation, the point or lower edge of the pressingbit and the shoulder of the foot-piece opposite it press the edges of the tin down on each side of the blade n and bend them to the interlocking position shown at Fig. 13, Sheet 5. At this stage of the operation the slide E is down as far as it can go and rests upon the set-screws, and is kept there with a steady pressure caused by the roller X rolling over the convex surface of the cam-projection on the lever T. The lever T, however, keeps moving upward, thus causing the outer slide, G, to move downward and carry its hammer-bar atoward the anvil. During the time which elapses while the studs of the pressing-bit are traversing their tracks between the lower end of the hammer-bar and the enlargement o the pressing-bit remains stationary, but during that time the beveled enlargement h on the bar h, which works through the loop I of the lower parallel bar, d, inside the anvil, acts upon the loop and draws the bar 02 back, causing the upper bar, 6, to be drawn down, carrying with it the blade ndown through the slot and out of the way, leaving the face of the anvil clear. The continued downward movement of the hammer-bar causes the enlargements or projections 12 to force the upper end of the pressing-bit quicklyoutward as the studs 0 ride over the projections. This movement causes the lower edge of the pressing-bit to swing in and down into the shallow channel on the anvil and to compress the standing interlocked edges of tin across the space which was occupied by the blade n before it was withdrawn. This pressure and compression takes place close to the top of the anvil, and the standing interlocked edges are thereby canted to an inclined position under the hammer-bar, as shown'at Fig. 7, Sheet 4. The studs then ride over the rounded shoulders above the projections 12, and the spring presses the upper edge of the pressing-bit inward,thus carrying its lower edge out from under the hammer and raising it from the anvil by its eccentric motion. The hammerbar then comes down on the inclined or canted edges and flattens them down into the shallow channel thus completing the seam. This last positionis shown at Fig. 8, Sheet 4. These several operations are accomplished successively as the lever is being depressed by the foot, so that a single movement of the lever completes the jointing and seaming of a canbody.

In seaming can-bodies on this machine it is necessary that the sheets of tin should fit snugly around a forn1,in order that their edges may properly overlap and be held in proper position with reference to each other on the anvil. To provide for this, I have separate .1 hollow forms for each size of can-body, and

secure each form as itis needed around the anvil, as represented at Figs.16,17,and 18,Sheet 7. These forms are made by bending sheet metal to a circular or other shape, and securing them by screws to the base A, so that they surround the anvil with the top of the anvil exposed on top. V In making circular bodies I provide a spring-pad, G, on one side of the circular form, which will prevent the body from being hugged too close to the form by the drawing in of the joint or seam; otherwise it would be diflicult to withdraw the body from the form after it is seamed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. In a machine for jointing and seaming can-bodies, the horn or anvil D, having the blade n, arranged to be projected up through a slot in its upper face which extends through its length, and provided with spring-pins p on one side and p on the opposite side, in combination with the slide E with its divided footpiece F, having the adjustable plate with its arms and eccentrically-suspended pressingbit, and the slide G with its hammer-bar a,

interlock, and flatten them into a union-seam upon the anvil, substantially as described. 3. In combination with the base A,provided with a horizontallyprojecting horn or anvil, D, in which a blade, n, is arranged to be automatically projected above its surface and then withdrawn below its surface through aslot in its upper face, a sliding head, E, having a foot-piece, F, which is divided by a channel extending parallel with the anvil, and which carries in said channel a pressing or crimping bit,and a vertically-moving hammer-bar, a, arranged to move down through the channel and flatten the edges of tin upon the anvil, substantially as described. 4. In combination with a horizontal horn or anvil, D, having a blade, n, arranged to project upward through a slot in its upper face, and provided with mechanism for withdrawing said blade below the surface of the anvil, and the spring-pins p p on opposite sides of the blade n, a descending foot-piece, F, which carries a pressing or crimping bit, and a hammer-bar, a, which is arranged to move down upon the anvil after the foot-piece and crimping-bit have completed theiraction, substantially as described. v

5. The horn or anvil D, having a channel extending longitudinally through it, above which are secured two die-plates, ff, one of them provided with the depression i, so as to leave anarrow slot, 1', between them, and having a bar, 0, which is provided with a blade, n, placed in said channel so that its blade will pass through the slot z, in combination with suitable mechanism for raising and lowering said bar e, so as "to alternately project the blade above and withdraw it below the sur face of the anvil, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for jointing and seaming tin can-bodies, the anvil D, provided with the die-plates ff, and intermediate narrow slot, 1', and having the bar 6, with its blade 7, and recesses in its under side arranged in a channel below said slot, in combination with the parallel longitudinally-moving lower bar, d, connected with the bar 6 by links it, said lower bar, d, having studs jj, corresponding with the recesses in the under side of bar 6, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for jointing and seaming tin can-bodies, the anvil D, having a narrow blade, n, arranged to be projected above its upper surface, and provided with the short inclined spring-pinsp on one side of the slot, and the long spring-pins p on the opposite of the slot, to serve as guides, and stops for the edges of the tin and to hold them in the proper position with reference to the blade n, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for jointing and seaming tin can-bodies,having a horizontal horn or anvil, D, provided with a thin blade, 12, arranged to be projected up through a slot in its upper surface, a channeled foot-piece, F, arranged to move down upon the anvil, said foot-piece having an adjustable sliding plate, G provided with arms H at each end, in which is journaled eccentrically a pressing or crimping bit, J substantially as described.

9. In a machine for jointing and seaming vided with the studs 0, near its upper edge on I one side, and pressed forward by a spring, m, above its center on the opposite side, in combination with the vertically-moving hammerbar a, which is provided with tracks in which the studs 0 traverse, said tracks having a projection v, and curved shoulder w by means of which the pressing-bit is moved to crimp the interlocked edges of tin and withdrawn in time to avoid the descending hammer, substantially as described.

10. In a machine for jointing and seaming tin can-bodies, the outer slide, G, carrying the hammer-bar a, moved by the main lever T, which passes through a vertical slot in the slide E, in combination with inner slide, E, with its divided foot-piece F, having the adj ustable plate carrying the eccentrically-suspended compressing-bit,which is moved by the short lever U by means of the cam-projection or short levenbearing Y on the lever T, and the adjustable contact-point, consisting of the projection f 2 on the block E and the set-screw g", for bearing on the head of the outer slide, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of June, A. D. 1885.

CLARENCE M. SYMONDS.

\Vitnesses:

JNO. L. BooNn, F. E. MoN'rEvERDE. 

